Massachusetts DEP in Northborough today

by Kim

Today, like any other day, I was out wandering around taking pictures to share with you and walking down the street thinking it would be a quiet day newswise, but lovely weather for pictures… when the news found me…

12 to 15 interested residents of Coolidge Circle and neighboring streets were gathered  regarding the alleged wetland encroachment taking place on 429 Whitney Street.  Mr. Joseph Bellino, M.S. of the Central Regional Office of the Bureau of Resource Protection Wetlands was present to walk the property with the property owner.   Mr. Bellino was kind enough to speak to the group after the walk through to share his findings.  He said he found the conditions “unacceptable” on the site, with turbidity in the unnamed pond and brook on the property and encroachment in the river buffer zones.  (The unnamed tributary flows into Wheeler Pond and the Assabet River.)

Mr. Bellino acknowledged that the owner, as part of the financing for the property, has agreed to accept fill on to the property.  The property is zoned industrial, but the stated use is agricultural as cows, goats and geese are present on the property.  Abutters indicate dirt fill has been arriving since August and indications are there is much more to come.

“There’s a plan on file at the Town Hall for a landowner to haul 65,000 cubic yards of material to a vacant lot at 429 Whitney Street, and pile it up to a height of over 20 feet.  That will be over 4,000 truck loads travelling into town. Much of the material is, for some reason, being hauled from out-of-state to be dumped here in Northborough.  It seems to me that a commercial landfill has been brought into our town.  I feel strongly that our community should be controlling this activity,” says abutter Bob Rosenberg.

DEP plan of action for the property seeks “better management of stormwater and stabilization of the site” which includes better grading to slope the water flows away from the wetlands, straw matting to retain loose soil, a more defined site plan documenting areas in question, better marking off of those areas, and replanting of the cut river buffer areas.  Mr. Bellino indicated he will continue to monitor the site to ensure the wetlands protected, should violations not be fixed, the DEP will order the fill to be stopped.

I would welcome the opportunity to speak to the land owner who I am told lives in town.  I may be reached at editornorthboronews@gmail.com to set up a time.   I will update as the situation unfolds.

…As for me, I must never, ever walk out of the house without brushing my hair, as the news crops up at the most unexpected times.